German construction materials group HeidelbergCement reported on Thursday higher sales and profits last year as cost-cutting efforts and mild weather helped cushion higher energy costs.

HeidelbergCement said in a statement that operating profit grew by 3.0 percent to 1.474 billion euros ($1.9 billion) last year on a 9.7-percent increase in sales to 12.902 billion euros.

In the fourth quarter alone, operating profit was up 6.9 percent at 410 million euros and sales jumped 13.8 percent to 3.282 billion euros.

The rise in both sales and profit "reflect the continued positive development in our growth markets, as well as the ongoing recovery in industrialised countries in North America and Europe," the statement said.

HeidelbergCement said its European business benefited from the mild weather both at the beginning and end of last year.

And cost-cutting measures helped lift operating profit "despite the stronger-than-expected rise in energy costs in the wake of the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan," it said.